Rough Guide to Rai

Cheb Khaled (Artist), Cheb Mami (Artist), Abdou (Artist), Malik (Artist), Cheb Zahouani (Artist), Cheb Anouar (Artist), Cheikha Remitti (Artist), Bellemou (Artist), Cheba Nouria (Artist), Cheba Zahouania (Artist), Cheb Hasni (Artist), Fadela & Sahraoui (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 14, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: World Music Network
• ASIN: B00006IIXP
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,443 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #42 in Music > World Music > Africa > Algeria

Track Listings

1. Ana aachki bahloul - Abdou

2. Lazrag saani - Cheb Mami

3. N'touma - Malik

4. Moul el bar - Cheb Zahouani

5. Moulay Ibrahim - Cheb Anouar

6. Guendouzi mama - Cheikha Remitti

7. Nediha gaouria - Bellemou

8. Consulat - Cheba Nouria

9. Shab el baroud - Cheba Zahouania

10. Menghirek entia fi dounia - Cheb Hasni

11. Ya loualid - Cheb Khaled

12. La verite - Fadela & Sahraoui

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Born out of the cabarets, brothels, and bars in the seaside district of Oran in Algeria, raï is an Arabic musical reaction to rock & roll and disco. The differences are evident in the beat and lyrics, which are less polite and more sexual. While this collection culls 12 tracks from a time when the grassroots music was sold on cheap--and cheaply produced--cassettes, there are bright spots. Cheikha Remitti's more traditional sound is a welcome respite from the cheesier productions. Malik's "N Touma" uses samples to create a pleasantly edgy collage. The funkiest track comes from Cheba Nouria, whose "Consulat" boasts electro groove and a bit of reggae syncopation. Cheb Mami and Cheb Khaled tracks sound dated, but they provide enlightening and entertaining comparisons with both artists' more recent works. Though this is a fine overview of the music's early years, curious fans should explore more sophisticated recent efforts by the two gents. --Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to rai, November 29, 2002

By 

Shantell Powell "The ShanMonster" (Kitchener, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rough Guide to Rai (Audio CD)

The Rough Guide to Rai is the music of modern Algeria: politically-charge lyrics layered amongst Arabic instruments and beat-driven pop. You can think of it as the north African equivalent to reggae, unencumbered by the need to stick to 4:4 rhythms.

The music ranges in sound from dancey pop to sweeping Egyptian orchestrals to breathy, intricate taqsims. The rhythms always take over, though.

Once again, the Rough Guide series has put together an excellent compilation. This is a perfect introduction to the genre, although I can't help but notice the absence of Rachid Taha.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rebel Soul of Algeria, October 2, 2006

By 

Zekeriyah (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rough Guide to Rai (Audio CD)

Few things are as quintessentially Maghrebi as Rai music. This compilation showcases the incredible variety of the modern Algerian sound, stretching back to the earliest pioneers of Rai music like Cheikha Remitti and going up to modern day legends like Khaled, Cheb Mami and the late Cheb Hasni (who was a hit across North Africa, despite not being as well known in the west as Khaled or Cheb Mami). All the big names are featured here. Theres the driving rhythms of Fadela and Sahraoui on "La Verite". The cross dressing pop star Abdou contributes a track, "Ana Aachki Bahloul". And even "Shab el Baroud," a song by Cheba Zahouania praising the Algerian mujahideen freedom fighters. This CD is an essential guide for understanding Rai music, the very heart and soul of Algeria. Anyone interested in Arabic music should definately go out and buy this CD. It's definately a different side of Algeria than that frequently featured on the news.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EVEN MY CATS LIKE IT!, August 25, 2003

By 

brigid o'shaughnessy (San Francisco, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rough Guide to Rai (Audio CD)

yeah, ok, my cats like everything, this is a very musical household, but seriously, they were getting a little bored of the same old arabesque cd's and were ready for something a little edgy and bold. this cd certainly fit the bill. the music is hard, biting, and yet retains it's uniqueness and rhthym. it reflects it's moroccan and arabic influences, but has a slight central asian feel to it that really makes it interesting. if you've ever considered stepping just outside the box, then the music of algeria is certainly worth a listen. my cats would definitely agree.